Pilgrimage Innsbruck-Rome Part 4

06.06.2016

Day 12 – Monterondo – Vallerica – Start of Rome – Porta Pia – Trevi Fountain – St. Peter’s Square – 28 km

Today’s stage brings us to the destination of our pilgrimage.

The first 10 kilometers we walk through the Sabine hills in bright sunshine. We encounter a flock of sheep being driven by the farmer and with the vigorous assistance of 3 dogs to a new feeding station.

A large poppy field in deep red inspires us. Rome has a beautiful landscape at its gates.

From the beginning of the city to St. Peter’s Square we walk 18 km on the asphalt and it gets quite warm today.

We sweat profusely at the end; nevertheless enjoy the sunny day.

Then we did it!

Happy and full of joy we stand at St. Peter’s Square on 6.6.2016 after 53 walking days and 1200 km.

Tomorrow at 7 a.m., a well-known Franciscan priest from Angelica will say Mass for us in a side altar in St. Peter’s Basilica. This will be our spiritual conclusion to this trip.

A heartfelt thank you to all who have accompanied us via the travel diary.

Thanks to Ferdinand Treml for the really good pilgrimage guide, Innsbruck – Rome, which I can recommend.

I am happy to share my experiences via mail if they are desired.

Bon cammino to all who are going for a time.

Cordially Brigitte Wallner

05.06.2016

Day 11 – Montelibretti – Rio Moscio – Monterondo – 18 km

A sunny, warm day lets us walk once again in nature at the gates of Rome.

We walk behind each other on the roads, because Italians are nimble drivers.

So everyone can linger in their own thoughts, and celebrate the penultimate day of pilgrimage.

It surprises us that we march along in rural idyll with farmsteads and olive and fruit groves.

Hardly imaginable that we have from our today’s stage goal Monterondo, only still 10 km up to the beginning of the million metropolis.

Nadine and I want to hike in to St. Peter’s tomorrow.

Since we have a long stage of 28 km ahead of us at the end, which we will crown with the arrival at St. Peter’s Square and a visit to St. Peter’s Basilica.

04.06.2016

Day 10 – Toffia – Farfa Monastery – Canneto – Montelibretti – 24 km

A beautiful old pilgrimage path begins just behind the monastery up. We encounter sheep that have run away and two barking dogs that try to master the sheep.

We make a turn and see that we get further. The dogs in Italy are unpredictable. Most are locked up and bark and growl when we walk by. Two pilgrims we met were bitten by dogs running free.

During today’s stage we walk through olive groves with countless trees. The production of olive oil is the main acquisition in agriculture here.

Then we feel like we’re in a land of milk and honey. Ripe, sweet apricots we pick from the trees. A little later we “harvest” dark red large cherries and peaches. We bite into it with relish. Our vitamin needs for today are covered.

In Montelibretti we spend the night again in a charming bed and breakfast. So far, we have only had good experiences with this.

Finally for those interested: the weather today has spoiled us with sun and warmth.

03.06.2016

Day 9 – Colonnetta – Poggio San Lorenzo – Osteria Nuova – Toffia – 24 km

We walk over the Sabine hills towards Rome. The highlight of today is a narrow path over 2 km through a wildly overgrown, mystical forest. The leaves are shiny and look like freshly washed. The rain also has its good sides.

The old, rooted and partly completely overgrown trees could tell many stories.

For a long time we walk side roads and gravel paths and at the end we come through a valley to the village of Toffia. The church is visible high up early.

Today’s accommodation, bed and breakfast, is a small cottage for us. It is lovingly decorated and we enjoy it.

In the afternoon we visit the monastery of Farfa, 5 km away, once one of the most powerful monasteries in Italy.

Many pilgrims passed by here and Francis also visited the abbey.

Tomorrow we come to Montelibretti and are only 2 stages away from Rome.

02.06.2016

Day 8 – Rieti – Ponte Sambuco – Colonnetta – 17 km

We have shortened today’s route by 5 km because we could not get accommodation in Poggio San Lorenzo.

It was a good decision, because today was “poncho time” once again.

The rain starts early in the morning and stays more or less throughout the day. The temperature is cool.

From the beginning we kept saying, towards the end we will surely have hot days. Now we are soon at our destination and the hot days have not arrived yet.

We sit indoors in our jackets and we are not a bit too warm.

But we re-motivate ourselves for the remaining days and have fun playing cards and drinking wine.

Today’s photos are impressions of days gone by and please us, and hopefully you as well.

Our wish for tomorrow is easy to guess – right – dry weather and maybe some warm sun rays.

01.06.2016

Day 7 – Poggio Bustone – Cantalice – Chiesa San Felice – La Foresta – Rieti – 19 km

Today’s tour leads us to the second hermitage La Foresta. We walk in the footsteps of St. Francis. Here his work took place and there are many reminders in the form of churches, hermitages, statues and much more of him. There is much literature to read about him and his life.

The path is very well marked and we meet some pilgrims on the way. The weather meant well with us again. The first rain shower came when we were already in Rieti.

Rieti is the geographical center of Italy. The small town has about 50,000 inhabitants. The Romanesque cathedral is impressive, and there is a statue of St. Francis in front of the large church. Furthermore, four large stones, one from each of the hermitages.

5 stages and 98 km still separate us from our final destination of our pilgrimage, Rome.

31.05.2016

Day 6 – Piediluco – Labro – Rivodutri – Poggio Bustone – 17 km

With today’s hike we leave Umbria and enter the province of Lazio. Our destination today is Poggio Bustone, one of the four Franciscan hermitages around Rieti.

We walk along the lake to the next village Labro, perched high on a rock. Again and again we marvel at how the old stone houses were built against the rock and forest in the past.

The view is wonderful, and we take a look at Piediluco.

After a short time and a slight incline, we get a clear view of the wide Rieti valley, and we can already see Rieti in the distance.

In Poggio Bustone the black statue of St. Francis welcomes us and the dark rain cloud has disappeared again.

Tomorrow the provincial capital of Rieti welcomes us.

30.05.2016

Day 5 – Macenano – Ferentillo – Arrone – Marmore – Piediluco – 24 km

A sunny, not hot, day of pilgrimage comes to an end.

Today we had a flat stage; but a wonderful Umbrian landscape. The first kilometers we walked along the river Nera out of the valley until Arrone. An espresso strengthens us for the next section.

We keep stopping to admire the old stone houses of the small towns. They are built on rocks high above and tower over the fertile, green landscape.

We see the Marmore waterfall from afar and then pass above the man-made water body.

Our destination today is the Lago di Piediluco. We sit on the shore of the reservoir in the sun and let the day end.

29.05.2016

Day 4 – Spoleto – Monteluco – Forcella Castelmonte 950 m – Pontuglia – Ceselli – Macenano – 24 km

With a look back at the castle of Spoleto, we climb at 8:00 am, 430 meters of altitude, to the hermitage of Monteluco.

Today’s stage is beautiful. We are once again in the middle of nature, walking on a forest path through an oak forest, after reaching the highest point, 950 m.

We hear a wild boar grunt in warning. Probably we have disturbed it. We did not get to see it. Which doesn’t bother us at all. We don’t necessarily want to face an angry boar.

On the path we have a wonderful view into the valley to the individual stone houses, and of course we are greeted each time with barking dogs.

Afterwards we reach the Nera valley and continue our walk with pleasure, towards the end by a natural stream that fascinates us with its deep green mosses,

A fulfilling day ends with the hospitable hosts at the Albergo Ai 3 Archi in Macenano.

28.05.2016

Day 3 – Camporpollo – Spoleto – 6 km

We take advantage of the short stage today to be able to devote ourselves to the charming town of Spoleto.

An extensive tour of the city with a visit to the cathedral and the castle in fine weather is recreation today.

We hear drums and experience a medieval procession that ended at the castle with demonstrations.

Spoleto also surprises us with underground escalators and lifts to get from the lower to the upper town and up to the castle.

The city is known for the annual “Festival of Two Worlds”. During the months of June and July, many different musical performances are presented at several venues,

Tomorrow’s hike will take us back into nature. From our hotel today, we can see the bridge, Ponte delle Torri and the mountain we will climb tomorrow.

27.05.2016

Day 2 – Foligno – Trevi – Pissignano – Camporopollo – 25 km

We have received reinforcement. Reingard from Schönberg is with us since yesterday, and goes with us to Rome. Heimo, on the other hand, today is the last day of pilgrimage with us, and tomorrow flies back home. We are grateful and glad that he walked with us the strenuous stages in the Apennines.

Today we had the first walking day with 30 degrees, and walked through large olive groves, past beautiful stone houses with lovingly arranged flower decorations. Some olive trees are very old, over a thousand years, as a sign tells us.

The landscape here is already Mediterranean and it is easy to walk through this area. We walk through a barley field, past houses with cherry trees and even discover bamboo shrubs in a mixed forest.

The cherries are ripe and a friendly Italian invites us to eat cherries and blackberries from the tree at his house. We are surprised that the blackberries are already ripe. Both taste delicious and fill our now empty pilgrim stomach.

The small town of Trevi is picturesquely built on a hillside. To get there, however, you have to overcome a few meters of altitude.

Tomorrow we arrive in the city of Spoleto and move on towards Rome.

26.05.2016

Day 1 – Assisi – Carceri – Poggio Caselle – Spello – Foligno – 23 km

We leave Assisi and climb 500 meters in altitude to the hermitage of Carceri, located in the middle of the forest. This is where Francis often retreated. The chapel and the simple rooms can be visited.

The road to the nice little medieval town of Spello goes in the middle of nature through a virgin forest, olive slopes, and is a pleasure, The beautiful weather contributes to the fact that we move forward cheerfully. It is getting warm and we enjoy the sun.

We walk through Spello, admiring the many flowers lovingly planted in the small streets and in front of front doors.

The last 6 km to Foligno lead along the road directly into the old town, where we will stay tonight at the Hotel Italia.

Flowers are collected everywhere, stages are set up and flags are hung up, because tomorrow there is to be a celebration.

However, our pilgrimage continues.